34 The Natural History of British Game Birds 
first recorded instance is mentioned by Gilbert White in the " Observations on Birds " 
appended to an early edition of the Natural History of Selborne. The specimen was 
killed at the Holt, and was supposed to be a hybrid pheasant and domestic fowl. In 1883 
the Hon. W. Herbert identified it as a Black Grouse and pheasant cross. Subsequent 
examples have occurred at Whidey, Plymouth, 1829; Cornwall, 1834; another probably of 
the same brood mentioned by Rodd {Birds of Cornwall, p. 77) ; two (from a brood of five) 
at Newington, Shropshire, in 1834; Corwen, Merioneth, and now in Mr. Beville Stanier's 
collection (formerly Lord Hill's), killed prior to 1836; Lochnaw, Wigtownshire, 1835; 
Alnwick Castle, 1837; Alnwick, 1837 (British Museum); Devonport, 1839; Felton, 
Northumberland, 1839; Belsay, Northumberland, 1842; and so on to the number of fifty, 
of all of which full particulars may be obtained by referring to an excellent article in the 
Zoologist, September 1906, by Mr. Jourdain. Charles St. John, in his Natural History 
and Sport in Moray, had evidently seen several unrecorded hybrids of these two species, 
for he remarks (p. 221) that the cross is " not very rare." 
With regard to black and red grouse hybrids, which are rare, I have seen several 
specimens. One killed at Glen Mazarin, September 11, 1889, I figured in Game Birds 
and Shooting Sketches (p. 36). Mr. H. E. Forrest records two examples of these hybrids 
in the Vertebrate Fauna of North Wales (p. 307). One was killed at Yspytly Moor, 
November 20, 1897, and the other on December 9, 1895, at the same place. I extract 
the following passage from the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, February 
2, 1909 : — 
" Mr. J. G. Millais exhibited two immature examples, male and female, of the hybrid between 
the Red Grouse (Lagopus scoticus) and the Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), killed in Wales, and 
made the following remarks : — 
' It would be natural to suppose that species which are closely allied and which frequent the same 
ground would often interbreed ; but such is not the case. It is well known that Black Grouse and 
Capercaillie frequently interbreed, and there are four or more known instances of hybrids between 
such diverse species as the Pheasant and the Capercaillie, but crosses between Black Grouse and 
Red Grouse, or Red Grouse and Ptarmigan, are extremely rare. This may be accounted for by the 
fact that the first-named is polygamous, whilst both the Red Grouse and Ptarmigan are monogamous. 
Previous to the two specimens exhibited, I have only seen two examples of the cross between Black 
Grouse and Red Grouse, both killed in Scotland. Mr. J. A. Jones spoke to me one day concerning 
two Grouse which he and his son had killed at Llanerch bog, near Bala, North Wales, in August 
1908. On examination they proved to be undoubted hybrids between the last-named species. 
Both are immature birds, male and female, and exhibit very clearly the characteristics of both 
parents. The back, wings, and scapulars are similar to those of the immature Black Grouse, whilst 
the new plumage, coming in on the breast and flanks, is like that of the " White " form of the Red 
Grouse, being deep chestnut and black widely tipped with white. The feet, legs, and forked tail (in 
the case of the male the tail is missing) are similar to those of the larger parent. All the seven 
young birds in the covey were killed, and they are now in the possession of Mr. J. A. Jones, who 
has kindly allowed this pair to be exhibited. Neither of the parent birds were seen. It seems a 
great pity that the whole covey was destroyed, for had any reached maturity they would have been 
very beautiful and interesting birds, quite dissimilar to the other specimens of this hybrid that I 
have seen.' " 
Mr. Ogilvie Grant remarked that it was many years before he was able to obtain 
an example of this hybrid for the Bird Gallery in the British Museum, which now possesses 
two adult male examples. 
